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Updated Wednesday, October 14, 2009 9:14 am TWN, The China Post news staff

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Does Chen want to get off the hook that bad?

The point Chen has made is that Ma, like him, is a robot of Uncle Sam, who should do what he is told to do. Ma has to obey Washington, Chen surmises, just as he did. And then Chen would be free to go to the United States to enjoy a couple of billions of NT dollars he is believed to have stashed away.

One thing we cannot understand is if a long detention at Tucheng has turned him into a basket case of senile dementia.

President Ma simply cannot order the judiciary to release his predecessor who will be tried at the High Court in Taipei shortly. Does Chen believe the AIT in Taipei can just tell President Ma to order his release? If he does, he is out of his mind, which, if proven, may get him off the hook. The law says a mentally deranged man isn't responsible for any crime he may have committed.

We know full well that Chen is desperate to be free. As a good defense lawyer, which he used to be before he was president, however, Chen knows the best chance for him to regain his freedom is to plead guilty, accept the penalty, and then pray for mercy.

It certainly takes quite some time to get pardoned. And he has to take the first step right now. During his first trial, he once said he would rather be sentenced to death than remain in ignominy. What he should do is to own up at the first pretrial hearing the three High Court judges have scheduled for October 23. His second trial would end at once and the judges would give him a release on bail. He doesn't have to stay behind bars at Tucheng. Of course, Chen should refrain from appealing and have all the money he is alleged to have laundered abroad returned to the national treasury. Only after all this has been done can he beg for mercy from President Ma, who is a forgiving person.

As president of the republic, Ma has the constitutional power to pardon Chen and probably his family as well. He may hesitate to grant them the pardon before he wins a second term. If the pardon were granted during his first term, Ma's chances of getting reelected in 2012 may get seriously affected.

Our advice to President Chen in detention is: Be patient.

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Comments

October 14, 2009 antoniolin69@

Right is right, wrong is wrong. Everything has its law. The law of Cause and Effect is definite. One should be responsible for what one has done. If the corruption can be pardoned, where is our social justice? How can we teach the younger generation to be clean and honest? Isn't honesty the best policy?

October 15, 2009 abianladen69@

Corrupt Chen is too Corrupt and a Traitor to R.O.C. He is a very dangerous anim..l and a menace to our country. Self confess as an Agent of America. Maybe soon. Chen will sue against Dalai Lama, Rebiya Kadeer and 0SAMA BIN LADEN. Later on, Chen attorney will file a motion of INSANITY for him. Chen is a clever and smart extraordinary unhuman. A master of INTRIQUE.

October 15, 2009 se-green@

Clean and honest starts from family. Let's examine the Chen Family values, seems like hate and money rooted deep into each member. Ex-pres. Chen making a fool out of himself and people of Taiwan for so long. Now, trying to con the US for baseless reality. I hope justice and law prevail so that society would preserve and maintain peace & order.

October 16, 2009 Phobos73@

antoniolin69@ wrote:
Right is right, wrong is wrong. Everything has its law. The law of Cause and Effect is definite. One should be responsible for what one has done. If the corruption can be pardoned, where is our social justice? How can we teach the younger generation to be clean and honest? Isn't honesty the best policy?

If everything were clear-cut and obvious, we won't need a supreme court to explain laws. Nothing's ever right; nothing’s dead wrong.